Survie, in U.S. debut, impresses with Glens Falls triumph
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Survie had her U.S. debut delayed 72 hours when the $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes was postponed from Thursday to Sunday due to excessive rain earlier last week. But the wait proved worth it for trainer George Boughey and the connections of the long-winded Irish-bred mare.
Survie exploded off a dawdling pace under a brilliantly judged ride by Flavien Prat to an impressive 1 3/4-length victory over Storm Miami in the 12-furlong, Grade 2 turf fixture for older fillies and mares.
Survie, Group 1-placed on a couple of occasions in Europe during her 2025 campaign, was stretching back to 1 1/2 miles for the first time since a fourth-place finish in the Prix Vermeille late last summer in Longchamp. Runner-up Gezora emerged from that race to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf less than two months later at Del Mar.
Survie raced in mid-pack while under a snug hold and saving ground off a leisurely pace for the opening 10 furlongs of the Glens Falls. Prat angled the daughter of Churchill off the rail to commence her bid upon entering the stretch, the mare responding with an impressive turn of foot to readily overtake Storm Miami about 70 yards from the wire to win going away.
Storm Miami was nursed along on the lead through lackluster splits of 52.61 seconds for the opening half and 1:18.91 for three quarters by jockey John Velezquez. As a result, she still had plenty left in the tank when roused for the drive, only to prove no match for the winner’s final surge.
It was another two lengths back to Alluring Angel, who outlasted the others after prompting the issue throughout.
Gezora raced well off the sluggish pace, finished a non-threatening sixth and remains winless in three starts since her victory in the 2025 Filly and Mare Turf.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Survie covered the distance over a firm course in 2:31.21 and paid $6.88 as the tepid favorite in a field of 10.
“Impressive performance, really. We hoped the step back up to the mile and a half would suit and luckily it did,” said Boughey, who was not in attendance. “She’s a filly who has always trained with a lot of pace and just wasn’t able to show it over shorter distance. And he (Flavien Prat) gave her a lovely ride.”
Broughey said the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf going 1 1/2 miles against males on August 15 could be up next for Survie, despite what would be a short turnaround.
“She’s run back quickly before,” Broughey said. “She was bought to be a Group 1 winner and it’s nice to make her a Grade 2 winner (in the U.S.) today.”
Prat acknowledged he had a great trip in the Glens Falls.
“She broke okay, I was able to get myself in the race and saved ground most of the race,” Prat said. “The pace was slow, but there was nothing I could do about it. Obviously you turn for home and you know everybody is going to sprint home and she just outsprinted them all. It seems like they always wanted to stretch her out and it seemed like she didn’t mind the distance.”
Amelia Green, who sent out the runner-up Storm Miami, was proud of her horse in defeat.
“I thought she ran a huge race. Obviously Johnny rode her great, slowed the pace down as much as he could in a Grade 2, and she was very game down the lane,” Green said. “I was beaten by a very nice horse while beating the Breeders’ Cup winner and a lot of other nice horses.”
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